The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-05-14
THE GYPSY DOG.
A Marvellous Similarity Existing Between
Him and His Master.

positive similarity in manner between
Gypsy dogs and Gypsy people. In sun
ny days l have countless times rested
by tent-doors, where the pots from the
kettle-sticks kept up their humming
over the cracking fires in such way
as brought on drowsineas speedily, and
seen half-dozen dogs with their noses
all sympathetically quivering from the
smoke and understanding steaming
odors of cooking food, and been startled
by the facial resemblance between them
and the old men and spae-wives Groom
ing near. The dogs would appear to be
half asleep. So would the Gypsies.
Every few moments an eye would open
and quick look note that every thing
was as it should be. So it was with the
Gypsies. The dogs would weave and
sway back and forth as if about to break
into whining chant. So would the
Gypsies. Now and then the approach
of strange footstep, some unusual
movement among the horses and mules,
or the rustling of bird in near hedge,
all too faint for my own hearing, would
cause one or more of the dogs to waken
as if from deep sleep, instantly march
straight to where the suspicious sound
came from, and, if every thing was
well, march straight back again and in
a moment appear to again be in deep
slumber. | have seen the same move
ment by Gypsies hundreds of times.
But this something that tells of like
sense, or thought and habit if you like,
in both finds expression still more re-
markably in certain ways of walking,
in movements and in looks. Some
of these are indetinable, uhcXplain-
able. But these dogs and these
people have the same wary, halt
ing, light movement upon their feet.
They are equally alert. They shuttle
and sway, and, in the presence of
others than their kind, make unnec-
essary and uncountable dives here and
there. The thing this always recalls to
my mind is the action of Il young
prairie chicken Matched out under a
domestic hen. 1t is forever ducking
and lodging, hesitating and plunging,
until of a sudden il whisks through the
weeds to its own unbounded natural
condition. They both apparently have
that same wonderful intuition of at
mospheric conditions, as far superior
to the sailors knowledge in that re-
spect as is the sailors to a land-lub-
ber's. They both hear quicker and
keener than bird. They are both
nOiseless in the presence of any one
but Gypsies. They both sleep and rest
when wide awake, and wide awake
when sound asleep. And they are both
without ever being known to exhibit
the slightest outward expression of af-
lection, the most loyal and faithful
beings on earth to whatever belongs to
them or depends upon them.
Indeed, an entertaining volume could
: almost be written on Gypsy dogs alone.
They are in many ways remarkable.
They seem to be, as is true of no other
dog at all times, forever on the alert
to be of practical service. Nothing dis
courages thom in this. Nor is. it that
, ordinary kind of alertness that finds its
: chief expression in noise and freshness.
> The Gypsy dog is seldom frisky. A
tremendous wagging Of the tail is the
only exception, if that may be so
called. And, too, for all you would
know, they are voiceless. never
heard a genuine Gypsy dog really bark.
. He is like the bulldog in
this. There is now and then,
: under great stress of excitement, an
= expulsion of breath, half bark and
= sort of half pant, but even this is un-
- usual. He is as soft and still on his
feet as a cat. He is brave and strong,
and will take hold of a horse or mule,
!. or man, and remain holding on until
/ the necessity for the performance is
n over. He has also peculiarly pre-
: occupied air. In his case it seems to
n give him so serious a demeanor that
r have often noticed proud and arrogant
" dogs from the town or outlying farms
g approach the camp with the manner
?. of predetermined determination strong
c upon them, suddenly defer the matter
and betake themselves to speedy fight.
So, too, he is as much the guardian of
>, the camp and all its belongings, night
% and day, as the old spae-wives, of
n whom in this regard l have already
% written. Let any proving animal
70 approach the camp at night and the
!, whole pack silently and swiftly mar
% shall their forces, and, whatever the
/. prowling thing may be, it must in-
- stantly fly or its carcass will remain.
All this is done as with human care
not to disturb the camp. If there be
8. human providers, whatever their pur-
le purpose, they will suddenly find them
ID selves surrounded by dogs. No one
,e is brave enough at night to withstand